Service Learning
by litlcapt
Summary: A visit to the doctor shows Quinn a very different side of a boy she barely knows


Service Learning

Quinn walked into the large automatic double doors of St. Rita's Medical Center intent on getting to her appointment on time. She had arrived early this time, the newest edition of Marie Claire magazine and her iPod in her bag. She reached the elevator and pushed the appropriate button as the doors closed. She hadn't realized that she pressed the wrong floor until she stepped off and began to walk. Suddenly she didn't recognize the familiarity of the OB/GYN office she was used. Instead she turned on her heel with a frustrated shake of the head. That's what she got for being completely oblivious in her pregnancy induced tired haze.

She went to push the up button on the elevator but stopped when she heard a familiar tune playing down the hall. Intrigued she began to follow the source suddenly finding herself in an entirely different wing of the floor. Stepping through an open set of double doors she was now standing in what looked like a gym. Quinn dared to walk around the corner, to clear the wall that hid the commotion. What she saw on the other surprised her. As she listened Nelly's clean version of _Ride Wit Me_ filled her ears, the same they sang during their impromptu jam session. Looking closer it was not what she expected.

Several kids, ranging from what she thought was six all the way up to fourteen, were gathered in a circle. They all danced in their wheelchairs, some were on crutches but kept up just fine. Quinn cocked her head when she heard a familiar voice, that silky smooth tenor she listened to everyday during practice. At first she didn't recognize him from afar in that red wheelchair but as she got a closer look the sweater vest and yellow gloves were unmistakable. It was actually strange to see him outside school, except for the few times she saw him in the mall with Kurt, Mercedes, and Tina. Seeing him outside seemed different to her but opened her eyes at the same time, it made him look normal even if he was still in his usual sweater vest and dress shirt attire. When he turned his head she even caught a glimpse of those thick black-rimmed glasses.

Quinn watched as he engaged the other kids hoping she stayed in the shadows. She knew the awkwardness that would present if her presence were suddenly known. _It must be the money!_, Artie nearly screamed above all the students except for one who held a brightly colored beach ball. She watched in awe as the girl threw the ball, Artie catching it with expert hands. _What is he doing, _she asked herself as she continued to study the group.

"Okay next," she heard Artie say before he tossed the ball to another student, a boy not more than twelve years old in a wheelchair.

The boy began to dance in his chair not unlike Artie during Glee with a broad smile on his face. If it were her, and at one point it was her after Mr. Schue's crazy antics, she would have been wallowing in self-pity never showing her face to the outside world but these kids were having _fun._ She suddenly wondered if they were ever unhappy anytime. _Stupid Quinn, of course they have been unhappy they're disabled,_ she told herself. But she had to think was that the case since Artie seemed to adapt to those around him so well, he seemed so well adjusted.

The song ended Quinn realized and Artie was backing his chair from the circle and wheeling himself over to a table that held speakers and an iPod adapter. _So that's where the music's coming from,_ Quinn thought stupidly cursing herself for sounding more like Brittney in her head. She was glad he didn't look her way instead he was too engrossed in his task. A new song began to play, just as upbeat as the last as he began rolling himself back to the circle. The boy tossed the ball back to Artie who caught it and shared a grin with the other students.

"Jam session," he announced throwing the ball aside as all the students began their own freestyle to the best of their abilities.

It dawned on Quinn during that moment Artie was having a dance off much like the ones done during Glee rehearsal. The ones he had to elect to stand apart instead watching from afar or playing his guitar to the music. Now Kanye West's _Gold Digger_ replaced _Ride Wit Me. _While she knew the song she didn't understand why a guy like Artie would have it on his IPod. Unless it was just another one of those things that was done before she even joined Glee. It didn't matter now though she insisted as she continued to watch. Artie was rocking out swinging his arms with the beat, the other kids following his lead. _She give me money, when I'm in need_ he sang with all the grace he possessed in New Directions.

She watched as each kid began doing their own thing, some continuing to follow Artie while others, mostly the older kids, created their own dance. They continued to dance, and Artie sing, until a woman maybe in her mid thirties came to break up the group. Quinn watched Artie nod an approval before swinging his chair to wheel back to the table. It was in that moment she decided she may want to run and hide but a part of her didn't and it was that part that won over. Instead of running and forgetting all that she had saw Quinn almost had a need for Artie to notice her. She had a desire to find out exactly what he was doing.

"That was great guys, have fun with therapy," Artie said a little short of breath from the singing and exertion.

He still didn't know of anybody else's presence as he rolled over and bent down to pick the beach ball from the floor. Quinn had an overwhelming urge to run and help but knew how Artie got when help was provided. Actually counting back to the times in Glee she could only count a few instances when he accepted help and only from certain people, she was not one of them.

After putting the ball back to its original place on the storage shelf he rolled back to pack up his speakers and iPod. Once finished he turned his chair, using the same technique he had taught all of them not that long ago, to prepare to leave when he got the shock of his life. For the first time during his brief jam session with the kids he noticed Quinn standing there watching him. Quinn watched as Artie looked at her with a mixture of shock and confusion before wheeling over.

"Quinn?" he asked staring up at her.

"Artie what are you doing here?", it wasn't exactly a proper greeting but they were the only words she could wrap her mind around.

"I should be asking you the same question," he shot back calmly with no resentment behind his words.

"I have an appointment and I must have gotten lost," Quinn recovered quickly.

"Lost on the rehab floor," Artie continued to stare at her.

"Yes, then I saw you okay. I was curious as to what you were doing," Quinn finally admitted.

"I volunteer here on the weekends sometimes," Artie explained.

"You volunteer in your free time at a hospital," there was the old Quinn resurfacing.

"Yeah its fun, I help them with their disability and I find that singing and dancing makes therapy better," Artie wasn't fazed with her last comment instead he counteracted as he always did, with ease.

"Physical therapy?" Quinn asked having been here once after a knee injury in middle school put her on the sideline.

"Yeah," he answered and started making his way out.

"Where are you going?" she asked as he rolled past her.

"Don't you have an appointment?" he countered forgetting the question.

"Yes in ten and I asked you a question," there was Queen Bee again.

"To the floor to visit someone, new to the whole scene," he answered with such a nonchalant attitude as if being in a wheelchair was just an everyday occurrence.

It dawned on her that she never actually looked at the "boy in the wheelchair" for who he was. She just figured that he was a depressed person unable to cope with his condition but looking at him now she got a whole different image. What Quinn saw was a very well adjusted young man comfortable with himself. The reason she never saw it during rehearsal, she was too caught up in her own world with the baby drama to see anything else but what mattered to her.

She didn't say anything after that instead followed him to the elevator where he pushed the button before she even had a chance to reach. The doors opened and he propelled himself over with enough force to get over the bump in the entrance. That urge returned as one wheel got caught, her hands hovering just over the handlebars. She didn't dare touch the chair though afraid of the result. Only four people really had the privilege of wheeling him around: Tina, Kurt, Mercedes, and Mr. Schue. Anybody else was shrugged off and ignored as if it was a mortal sin to assist. As Quinn entered the elevator behind him she still couldn't grasp that concept of "no helping". She would have given her eyeteeth for someone just to wheel her around the school during her three hour stint in the chair.

"What floor?" Artie asked snapping her from her thoughts.

"Um, three," she answered quickly.

Leaning forward Artie pushed both buttons before relaxing back in his chair putting his gloved hands in his lap. Once again the yellow gloves clashed labeling him what Kurt would say a "fashion disaster". Even in middle school she wondered if those hideous yellow gloves were like his armor because she still couldn't recall a time when they were off except during performances or when he played guitar. Quinn never really put two and two together that the gloves protected his hands from the daily grind that was until she got a taste of his life for a day. She swore her thumbs still hadn't healed after that number.

As the elevator moved she watched him as he rung his hands in his lap. Occasionally they would go to his wheels rubbing either the metal rims or the course rubber. Quinn instantly recognized this as his nervous habit; it was something often seen in Glee most recently being after Mr. Schue had called him out to perform an impromptu solo in front of the group. She had rolled her eyes thinking to herself of how someone with such talent could be that nervous. But then again Artie was not like her, self-confident with everything she did. If he wasn't wringing his hands then he was pushing up his glasses in that nerdy way.

A ding echoed in the confined steel walls and the doors opened, her floor this time. She turned to him before stepping out offering a friendly smile. He just looked up with that same open expression he always had. He backed his wheelchair up to give her more room as she stepped around.

"Bye, see you around," Quinn said sincerely.

"It was nice seeing you Quinn, bye," Artie returned his smile broadening.

With a quick nod she was off leaving Artie in the elevator alone. She turned and saw the doors slide closed before walking towards the familiar office. That was weird she had to admit but oddly comforting. She would have never expected Artie of all people to be hanging around a hospital but it made sense. Even if Rachel shot her mouth off about having it bad because of a lost solo or Puck because of the baby Artie would still be the only one in the club who knew true adversity, not that it slowed him down. Quinn tried to forget the conversation she had as she walked into the waiting room for her appointment but she was still curious.

Her appointment completed and sonogram picture in hand she was happy she could finally leave. Everything was well now all she had to do was tell both Finn and Puck, the later secretly. As she walked towards the elevator Quinn tried to remember the floor Artie was going up to, she was still curious. As she stepped into the waiting elevator she suddenly remembered that the four was lit up. Pushing the button without another thought she headed up. Honestly she had no idea why she was doing this but in the back of her mind she needed to know.

Getting off the elevator as the doors opened Quinn walked down the hall sneaking past the nurse's station on her way. As she passed the many rooms she again could make out his telltale voice. She followed the faint laughter until she came upon room 410. The door open she found no trouble with looking in watching him as he sat next to the bed. The young man in bed looked to be around their age and must have said something funny by the way Artie was laughing. She couldn't make out the conversation with how soft Artie spoke but from the physical interaction between the two she could only gather that Artie was offering emotional support. She watched as he leaned forward and patted the other boy's arm, a smile being shared between both boys.

She heard comments of glee club combined with 'I play the guitar'. Than she heard something she never expected to cross Artie's lips 'it gets better trust me, look at me'. She had never seen it that way, all she saw was a nerd in a wheelchair. She actually took pity on him while she secretly watched from behind. Truthfully she had never really taken any interest in knowing Artie but after today she realized that there was more to "Wheels".

"Well I got to get going," Artie announced.

It was time for her to go, specifically before Artie noticed her. As he backed away from the bed and begun to swing his chair towards the exit Quinn formulated her plan for escape. Using Artie's disability to her advantage she made her way quickly to the elevator knowing that Artie took longer. She could take one of the two elevators without him even noticing and would take it from there in the lobby. Breathing a sigh of relief of missing another awkward moment she rode the elevator back down to the lobby just happy to get out of this place.

After stopping and picking up another passenger on the second floor Quinn was finally back into the lobby. Stepping out of the elevator Quinn spotted him exited the other one. He did a double take after noticing her and turned his chair to face her as she walked up to him.

"Still here?" Artie asked as he continued on his way towards the front door.

"Yeah appointment just ended," Quinn lied a little glancing at her phone for the time.

1:30 she read, so she was here much longer than she had expected but then again she did arrive insanely early. She looked at Artie who just nodded without taking his eyes off the path in front of him. He was being so casual it actually scared her, especially after all the years of being teased by her and the rest of her friends. Since joining Glee he acted as if it never happened, that all the slushies and wedgies were just a figment of their imagination.

As they neared the front doors Quinn watched as Artie slowed his chair providing time for the sliding doors to open. As he rolled over the threshold she followed behind shivering slightly at the chilly breeze. Looking up she instantly recognized the black Cadillac Escalade parked with its hazard lights in the patient drop-off area. Okay so maybe he did have a life. Slowing to a halt he turned to face her looking up with that usual smile.

"It was really good seeing you….again. See you in Glee on Monday," Artie said.

"Yeah see you," Quinn stumbled over her words, since when she thought to herself.

With a nod he bid her farewell rolling himself up to the passengers side of the large vehicle. Quinn was curious so she watched from afar Artie oblivious to her observation. She saw Kurt Hummel step out of the car and walk up to Artie. Opening the door before setting the brakes on his chair. Quinn realizing what he was doing thought it was impossible. There was no way that Artie of all people could pull himself up with his arms alone and given that Kurt was there they fared no chance. She thought that maybe the security guard waiting by the main entrance would finally see.

"Is that Quinn?" she heard Kurt ask and saw Artie's nod of affirmation.

"Long story tell you later," Artie said then returned to his task.

Quinn was surprised that Kurt didn't even make a move to help instead he just stood behind the chair and waited. In the back Quinn could vaguely make out Tina and Mercedes through the tinted windows. Still on her previous thoughts she was surprised at what she saw when she looked up. Artie was halfway up in the seat using his arms for leverage on the door and the handle. Using his free hand to move his lifeless legs the rest of the way in the car he was seated. Quinn was surprised at the ease he possessed, the well practice precision he exemplified during the hard task. That made even the hardest pyramid look easy.

While she didn't want to stop and stare she couldn't move so instead she just walked in a slow pace towards the parking lot her eyes never leaving Kurt's car. Kurt had taken the chair and wheeled it to the trunk where he, with some difficulty, lifted it in. Slamming the trunk door Kurt walked back to the drivers side and got in, Quinn could make out the music blaring from the speakers recognizing it as _Don't Stop Believin'. _Quinn still couldn't believe what she saw, at how easy Artie made it look.

Shaking her head and grasping her mind on today's events she walked back to the parking lot. This had to probably be the most interesting day she has had during her whole high school career. Arriving at her car she vowed to take what she saw this day with her. Secretly she had always admired Artie but seeing him today she had found a new respect for him. A respect she vowed to take with her on Monday to practice. As she pulled from the parking lot thoughts raced through her mind but one stood out. Never judge a book by its cover. She saw a different side of Artie, a side many never saw because they chose not to. He was well adjusted and giving to those who shared his disability even if he was a bit quirky and in her opinion the biggest nerd at school. Quinn Fabray, former Queen B, could now officially see past that. Although Artie Abrams would always be an enigma to her.

Disclaimer: Glee is property of Fox and its directors and producers


End file.
